It's not clear that Petraeus reported to Clapper even though he gave his resignation to him. There's nothing in any reference where the CIA reports to the president specifically or another agency director (Federal Executive Branch ). It's "independent", but the DNI consolidates inputs from the CIA, so there's a dotted line to Clapper.

External to the CIA, both the Congress and the executive branch oversee the CIAs activities.In the Executive Branch, the National Security Councilincluding the president, the vice president, the secretary of state, and the secretary of defenseprovides guidance and direction for national foreign intelligence and counterintelligence activities. In Congress, the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence and the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, as well as other committees, closely monitor the Agencys reporting and programs. The CIA is not a policy-making organization; it advises the Director of National Intelligence on matters of foreign intelligence, and it conducts covert actions at the direction of the President.

48 posted on 11/20/2012 10:30:02 AM PST by uncommonsense
(Conservatives believe what they see; Liberals see what they believe.)